Bruce, Thanks for the detail about your learning experiences.Based on your encouragement I have decided to keep the "build it myself" an open option.
Also thanks for the description of DriveSpaced and the sys command.Related but a bit off the subject but in case you can throw some light on the subject: I don't know exactly what they did to the old DOS I had in Win98, but many of the commands I was learning about before I switched to WinXP are no longer recognized in the WinXP "DOS" mode. I think they renamed it something like the command ???.
For example, when I enter /*sys, */Bootcfg, Getmac, or Driverquery, like this: sys /?I get: /*'sys' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.
*/Can sys command be used it WinXP?Well anyway I guess it time to get on to the hardware specifications that will be suitable for the new system.
That will probably be an big consideration. Thanks for all the input. BRIAN ************* /* */ Bruce Eddy wrote:
VIEW ARCHIVES @ //www.freelists.orgOk Brian, ..things to remember, I've not had one bit of schooling on any of this. That alone says you CAN do it? Not trying to talk you into it, I'm more trying to remove your 'fear' of doing it> When someone says to me 'wow you know a lot about PCs" I usually tell my biggest claim to fame is I've already made all the mistakes they're afraid to make?:))) For the record, and this may not be by-the-book best description..DriveSpace was way they used to compact the data on a drive so it used less space....kind of like making your data sit in a 'zip' folder, until needed......kinda sorta.. And 'sys the drive means...In dos you could 'sys a drive to put the dos system files copied to the drive. That way any commands you typed would execute. When I 'sys'ed the drive' on that Pc, then booted with the dos install disks, they saw the dos files now sitting on that drive. Since it was an upgrade version, and it saw the dos files sitting on the drive now, it would install just fine... In essence all I had to do once I got to theDos c:\ prompt was type the dos command 'sys c:\' Pretty simple, but when you've never had to do anything like that, And noone living in my area (New Hampshire at the time) it took a couple nights for me to figure that out. I'd used a 'Mac' like computer in my previous job, Even figured out how to write simple programs in MacBasic on that system... I say Mac like because it looked like a Mac and it was called MacSym..or something to that effect, the older old timers here might remember it... Ok I mean older PC-wise. I'm probably one of the older people on this list....:)))) Ok this is getting wordy, I HATE that, but I do it constantly. I LOVE teaching newbies new stuff.:)) All I'm saying is don't let your fears hold you back....Follow a few simple rules and you'll be safe...And this list is always here if you need us. I have a fre3ind from Kodak that ordered a kit from TigerDirect based on my recommendation...What I didn't' realize is the system wasn't pre-assembled? YIKES...This guy had the system all put together and ready to powerup...Once he mentioned he'd put it together last night, I flipped!!:)))) INSTANT phone call.... before he hit the power button.:)))) Good thing Idid, he'd put it together without using the standoffs that hold the motherboard off the back side of the case?!?!? OUCH... He said He wondered why it seemed to fit so weird in the case? Fortunately he didn't crack the board by tightening it down without the standoffs. (Standoffs are small 1/4 inch or so metal, usually brass, posts' you screw the post into the case. In alignment with the holes in the motherboard. Then you screw the motherboard screws into the top of the posts.) So he rips it all back off.. inserts the standoffs and he's good to go... those little basics are all that's needed. PCs today are nothing like they used to be.. Jumpers used to be done with DIP switches? Want a nightmare....my 1st Reveal CDROM had markings on the top of it to show how to set the DIP switches..there were 6 of them with 4 numbers on each switch, you set the numbers on each switch to match a corresponding memory address? Yep, it didn't work.. then there was another diagram of those DIP settings in the manual, And still another diagram on a piece of paper in the box, saying this supersedes the manual? And NOPE, none of those setting worked at all...Took me almost a whole afternoon of trying every combo of those switch settings to finally get it to work.:))) Now days? You might have to change a jumper from 1 to 3 places? BIIIIIG difference. And if you go SATA, there's no jumpers at all. Plus you can't plug any of the plugs in backwards any more... ok, an IDE cable could be put in backwards , but that won't hurt a thing on the drive. So all this all says is don't let it scare you. It's really not as hard as it looks. Especially with the newer systems. You might wind up with driver issues, but even that is coming to a slow down . MS takes a lot of heat, but they've also done a lot of things right and the drivers generally get better and better.. If you're still nervous, maybe buying a prebuilt system, is the way to go, then when you can scrape up the cash to 'play' take that older system apart and see how it's put together... then put it back together and boot it up...That will give you some hands on experience building a system/ Just some thoughts.... Take care, Bruce -----Original Message----- From: triadtechtalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:triadtechtalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of brian Sent: Sunday, October 18, 2009 5:02 PM To: triadtechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [triadtechtalk] Re: New Computer/ Win7 Upgrade Bruce,Thanks for your comments and it great to know of the great experience you have accumulated learning about the ins and outs of computer operation.I would love to build my new system like you have done, but.......when I read about this mother board not connection to this..., and be sure to get this type of ... or it wont work with... it reminds me of how my luck normally goes, " If in can go wrong it will!" It sounds like you have a little bit on the same luck I have, but have the knowledge to work around it!I have installed ram, a new power supply, an internal and external HDD, and a CD Rom 2 or 3 times. But when I installed the first HDD and a replaced my Super disk had a real time because of not knowing about the jumpers, the primary and secondary designation and the like. luckily I finally got it right.Your episode with eMachines sounds like what happened to me with my very first computer when I knew nothing about computers, (Before the I found the TTT and learned something!) and after a year of working with tech service they finally said the entire computer was junk all along and finally replaced it. It made me very apprehensive about the dependability of computer is general.And the learning keeps going on and on...for example, when you speak of these I am not sure what it meas:"DriveSpaced to look like a giant 30 meg drive?'" "I could actually sys the driveBruce"So I had tentatively decided to purchase at least the main desktop computer in a stare that it would be ready and I could add or replace other items as needed. That way if I did happen to get a unit that wouldn't work right I could hopefully get a replacement.Howard, maybe with your day in and day out working with old and new systems you could give us some of you wisdom about this matter.BRIAN ************** Eddy wrote: Hi Brian,I haven't ever owned only 1 prebuilt system in my life?:)) I've builteverysystem I've owned except the 1st one...That was an oooooold IBM case witha286/12 CPU, a half meg of ram and a half meg video card. Also had a 20 meg hard drive, DriveSpaced to look like a giant 30 meg drive?:))) Running windows3.1.....It was given to me by one of my kids' boyfriend at thetime..Within the 2nd week I wound up messing it up completely....formatted the drive...that's when I found out the true meaning of the term 'upgrade=version?:))) Dos 6.22 wouldn't install because it was an upgrade ...Took me 2 nights to figure out if I bypassed the install and got to adosprompt in the setup, I could actually sys the drive...THEN it wouldinstalljust fine...That's pretty much got me hooked on the internal workings ofPCsand Windows in general.. Anywho.. As for systems I'd recommend..I won't really recommend anything...there's good And bad in every brand you get. Sometimes it's the system, sometimes it's the user...sometimes it's a combination of both... My daughter's father in law. Had an emachine.. ran it for several years worked extremely well. One of my clients also had a much newer Emachinethatdidn't work so swell...to the point we sent it back because the HD kept losing data..not just bits and pieces the whole drive would wipe out. Sent it back to Emachines...they sent it back to me.. I did 1 boot up..installedsome windows updates.. on the 2nd boot up.. 'No operating system found' error?:))) I had to do clean install all over again. ..3 months later it happened to the guy again. This time, he bought an HP or whatever it wasandgave me the dead system...I played with it, finally found out the SATAdrivecable to the mother board was funky. It's one of those cables with theclipon the end instead of just the normal push-type. I flipped it around sothelip end was on the motherboard. Ran that for 2 months with no issues atall.Sold it for $150 after telling the new owner what the original issue was. That was over 3 years ago? The point is, the original owner now thinks eMachine is a terrible system. The new owner now thinks eMachines are super?:))) As for Win7, I'm not real sold on some of the layout changes, like the way they now do the Quick Launch.....doesn't mean it's bad, it's just a matter of getting used to it. Some of the hardest 'selling' points of vista/win7isthey made XP too good and it's been running too long. XP people lookingforadd/remove programs will be scratching their heads a lot. For me it still boils down to no compelling reason to upgrade. Aside fromitruns better and maybe some security side issues. I'll have 2 laptops and 2 systems here running win 7 . but if I had to pay full prices for those upgrades odds are hi I'd only have 2 of them running. Oh yeah, as for buying local or online... that's a toughie. One of my clients bought an HP laptop online thru eBay, runs real strong runs great good deal...He had one issue on OOBE when he 1st got it, called the eBay store owner and got a quick work around. No problems since. That was about4or 5 months ago. Me, I bought an Acer low power laptop from Wal-Mart early this spring also with no issues at all. A couple months after that I sold that laptop to my daughter and bought a Toshiba higher powered laptop from Bestbuy. Within the 1st week it froze up completely 4 times. I did a recovery back to day 1..then it happened again in the 2nd week and I tookitback and got a replacement instantly. That system hasn't had any issues at all ....so far. You make the call on that one.:))))) HTH Bruce -----Original Message----- From: triadtechtalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:triadtechtalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of brian Sent: Thursday, October 15, 2009 10:27 PM To: triadtechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [triadtechtalk] New Computer/ Win7 Upgrage Bruce, Ok, thanks for checking in; glad you are still out there and can offer a helping hand. I remember you were one of the group who switched to Vista and made itwork.That experience should help other who have problems with Win7. The first thing I would like to get some feed back on, is the pros andconsof buying a local computer or on off the internet. What have been your experiences? What are your recommendations? If I get one local it would sure help is I have trouble with it, but it seems that with an on line purchase a person can get the items that one really wants in the computer. What have you done in the past and how has it worked out? BRIAN *****************VIEW ARCHIVES @ //www.freelists.orgUNSUBSCRIBE by sending email to triadtechtalk-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with unsubscribe in the Subject field. 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